Leadership Principles

Question 1

How Many Leadership Principles

Answer 1

16

Question 2

1

Answer 2

Customer Obsession

Question 3

Customer Obsession (3)

Answer 3

Leaders start with the customer and work backwards.

They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust.

Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

Question 4

2

Answer 4

Ownership

Question 5

Ownership (3)

Answer 5

Leaders are owners.

They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.

They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job.”

Question 6

3

Answer 6

Invent and Simplify

Question 7

Invent and Simplify (3)

Answer 7

Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify.

They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here.”

As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.

Question 8

4

Answer 8

Are Right, A Lot

Question 9

Are Right, A Lot (3)

Answer 9

Leaders are right a lot.

They have strong judgment and good instincts.

They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs.

Question 10

5

Answer 10

Learn and Be Curious

Question 11

Learn and Be Curious (2)

Answer 11

Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves.

They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.

Question 12

6

Answer 12

Hire and Develop the Best

Question 13

Hire and Develop the Best (4)

Answer 13

Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion.

They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization.

Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.

We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.

Question 14

7

Answer 14

Insist on the Highest Standards

Question 15

Insist on the Highest Standards (3)

Answer 15

Leaders have relentlessly high standards — many people may think these standards are unreasonably high.

Leaders are continually raising the bar and drive their teams to deliver high quality products, services, and processes.

Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.

Question 16

8

Answer 16

Think Big

Question 17

Think Big (3)

Answer 17

Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results.

They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.

Question 18

9

Answer 18

Bias for Action

Question 19

Bias for Action (3)

Answer 19

Speed matters in business.

Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study.

We value calculated risk taking.

Question 20

10

Answer 20

Frugality

Question 21

Frugality (3)

Answer 21

Accomplish more with less.

Constraints breed resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention.

There are no extra points for growing headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.

Question 22

11

Answer 22

Earn Trust

Question 23

Earn Trust (4)

Answer 23

Leaders listen attentively, speak candidly, and treat others respectfully.

They are vocally self-critical, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing.

Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume.

They benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.

Question 24

12

Answer 24

Dive Deep

Question 25

Dive Deep (2)

Answer 25

Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when metrics and anecdote differ.

No task is beneath them.

Question 26

13

Answer 26

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit

Question 27

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit (3)

Answer 27

Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting.

Leaders have conviction and are tenacious.

They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Question 28

14

Answer 28

Deliver Results

Question 29

Deliver Results (2)

Answer 29

Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion.

Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.

Question 30

15

Answer 30

Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer

Question 31

Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer (4)

Answer 31

Leaders work every day to create a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diverse, and more just work environment.

They lead with empathy, have fun at work, and make it easy for others to have fun.

Leaders ask themselves: Are my fellow employees growing? Are they empowered? Are they ready for what’s next?

Leaders have a vision for and commitment to their employees’ personal success, whether that be at Amazon or elsewhere.

Question 32

16

Answer 32

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility

Question 33

Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility (4)

Answer 33

We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore. We are big, we impact the world, and we are far from perfect.

We must be humble and thoughtful about even the secondary effects of our actions. Our local communities, planet, and future generations need us to be better every day.

We must begin each day with a determination to make better, do better, and be better for our customers, our employees, our partners, and the world at large. And we must end every day knowing we can do even more tomorrow.

Leaders create more than they consume and always leave things better than how they found them.

Question 34

Leadership Principles

Answer 34

1. Customer Obsession
2. Ownership
3. Invent and Simplify
4. Are Right, A Lot
5. Learn and Be Curious
6. Hire and Develop the Best
7. Insist on the Highest Standards
8. Think Big
9. Bias for Action
10. Frugality
11. Earn Trust
12. Dive Deep
13. Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
14. Deliver Results
15. Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
16. Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility